The Alaska Pipeline

The Alaska Pipeline, built between 1974 and 1977, extends 800 miles from Prudhoe Bay in the north on the Beaufort Sea to Valdez in the south on the Gulf of Alaska. The pipeline is a 48-inch, insulated line which is capable of delivering 1.5 million barrels a day. At 55 gallons per barrel, that's a lot of oil! For most of its length, the pipeline runs above ground. However, several stretches are underground.

The pipeline was designed to deal with a wide variety of potential problems and hazards in the Alaskan 

environ- ment, including extreme cold and potential earth- quakes. The pipeline is insulated to retain heat in the oil so it will flow during cold weather and to protect Alaska's permafrost. The pipe itself ranges from .462 to .562 inches thick and has a minimum yield strength of 60,000 to 70,000 pounds per square inch. You may recall that Valdez was literally destroyed by the 1964 Alaska earthquake.

The first picture shows the pipeline as it rises above ground after crossing AK Highway 4. In our trip from Fairbanks south to Glennallen on AK2 and AK4, the pipeline was visible on one side of the road or another for about half the distance of the 225 mile-plus drive.

The line runs through a wide variety of terrain, including two mountain ranges. It cross the Brooks Range north of Fairbanks and runs through the Alaska Range between Delta Junction and Glennallen. It also crosses or runs beside many rivers and streams.